Creditcents: Credit and Personal Finance Blog from Creditnet.com

Summer break is getting close, and that means sunny skies and long, beautiful days. For many people, this is the perfect time to travel. But with high gas prices and expensive costs, a lot of consumers end up spending an arm and a leg on their summer travels. This doesn’t have to be you though. For those of you thinking about taking a trip this summer, there are easy ways to save, while still having an epic vacation.

Credit unions have increased in popularity ever since the financial crisis. With the Occupy Wall Street movement and Bank Transfer Day, many people have become more skeptical of large banks and their profit-making measures. As a result, a lot of consumers have turned towards credit unions as a safer way to store their money. But don’t just automatically switch to a credit union because everyone else is doing it. There are pros and cons to both credit unions and banks. Check out the following before deciding what’s best for you.

Using retirement funds to pay off high-interest credit cards, or outstanding financial obligations, is a common, yet less advised method of managing expenses. Liquidation of a retirement fund often does allow you to fully pay off your accounts owed. However, before making the decision to tap into your retirement savings, or transfer your assets to cash, review the terms and conditions for early withdrawal from a 401(k) or long-term investment.

In an economy where more and more people are struggling than ever to survive personal financial disasters, advertisements for repairing credit can be very tempting. No matter where you look – TV, the Internet, or radio, there’s always an offer that claims they can miraculously pull you out of your credit slump. The truth is, if there were a quick easy fix that cured credit woes, wouldn’t everyone be doing it? Then again, there are a few credible credit counseling agencies out there that can indeed assist you in clearing up your financial issues.

College is incredibly expensive, with students spending $25,000 - $50,000 a year on tuition alone. Then, there’s the cost of books, housing, food, and more. There is financial aid, but it can often be tricky to land. With the large influx of middle class students, it can be very hard to get the financial aid you need. And it doesn’t mean you have the money to pay for it by any means. But you’re still stuck with a huge bill.

Now more than ever, it is important to protect yourself from hackers. With the recent large scale security breaches at Target and other retailers, identity theft has hit home for many consumers. And those who were affected are probably looking into all the ways to protect their credit.

If you’ve waited until now to file your taxes, you must be feeling the pressure to finish them fast. With just days to go until the April 15th deadline, it’s time to stop procrastinating and get it done. And the first step is figuring out how to pay your taxes. There are many ways to do it, but using a credit card can be a convenient and easy way to pay them.

For anyone who’s gotten divorced or is currently in the process of getting one, you know how painful divorce can be. And apart from the emotional strain, you now have to think about your finances too. A common concern among divorcees is what will happen to their finances once they separate. How will divorce affect their credit? Will it be damaged?

Organic food, juice cleanses, and fancy new diets are all the rage these days. But these cost a lot of money. Organic food can be double the price of normal groceries, and juice cleanses and diets can cost up to hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. As a result, many consumers think that eating healthy is too expensive for them. It sounds much cheaper to stick to the dollar menu at McDonald’s.

Unemployment is tough. You have no steady income, and it may be hard to keep up with your bills. In today’s economy, with the high rates of unemployment, you may find it especially difficult to land a new job. And you’re probably more focused on getting yourself out of this situation than maintaining your credit.

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